Parties keep their ngers crossed after low turnout
Factors such as urban voter apathy, absence of any wave, negative voting sentiments seem to have contributed to lower turnout. Besides, each of the 20 constituencies has distinct characteristics that may have in uenced the drop in polling percentage compa
The Health department has issued a public health warning, cautioning people to take utmost precautions against heatwave conditions predicted in several districts in the State, as intense heat can lead to serious health issues.
Children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic diseases should be given special care to ensure they stay hydrated. People should avoid going out in the sun as much as possible. Drinking plenty of water is the
rst solution to preventing dehydration.
Direct sun should be avoided between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. People should wear light, airy and loose cotton clothing. It should be ensured that drinking water is safe and the ice used for making cold drinks is hygienic.
Alcohol, carbonated drinks and caeinated drinks can cause dehydration. Children or domestic pets should not be left alone in vehicles parked in the sun.
Multiple factors such as urban voter apathy, the absence of any wave, negative voting sentiments rather than massive antiincumbency, migration, vacation season, heatwave, and the typically lengthy voting process seem to have contributed to the low voter turnout in the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala on Friday.
Besides, each of the 20 constituencies has distinct characteristics that may have also inuenced the comparatively lower percentage of polling than in the 2019 elections. Moreover, as observed in the past, a clear south-north divide in the voting pattern was evident in these elections. However, there are exceptions, such as in politically sensitive Alappuzha, where the poll battle was intense.
Arguably, even then, a little over 71% turnout is a fairly high rate in a politically and socially conscious State like Kerala. For comparison, if 66% of the voting-eligible population turned out for the 2020
U.S. presidential election, it was 67.3% in the U.K. general election of 2019.
Bogus voting is down
In fact, many observers believe that any turnout exceeding the 80-85% range may be suspicious of bogus voting. The introduction of electronic voting machines has not only brought down the complaints of bogus voting but also almost stopped the rigging of elections.
Another aspect is that the number of voters in each constituency has also increased. For example, the electorate in Vadakara was 12,88,926, and the turnout was 82.6% (10,65,932 votes) in the 2019 polls.
This time, the electors was 14,21,883, and the turnout was 78.08%. That means 11,09,440 cast their votes in the polling that continued till 11.45 p.m.
Usually, a voter spends between 30 seconds and one minute exercising the franchise. However, during this election, voters were also mindful to verify the Voter Veri able Paper Audit Trail, which adds an extra seven seconds before the slip drops into the sealed box.
Voter abstention
The debate over voter abstention, despite the highvoltage campaign, proves futile, as the rationale behind electorate deviation from adult surage has its own logic, a senior government ocial said.
In the past, party members ensured that their sympathisers and supporters reached the polling stations. However, this machinery may have dwindled over the years, especially during Lok Sabha polls.
Unpredictable outcome
Now, political parties are keeping their ngers crossed after a low voter turnout. While high turnout historically favoured the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), past elections have shown that electoral outcomes can be unpredictable, especially in North Kerala.
However, much water has owed with the emergence of the BJP altering the electoral sphere in the State. In its stages of growth, the BJP used to dent the votes of the Congress in the initial stage, then it ate into the vote bank of the CPI(M) in the second phase, and this time, the party could possibly garner votes from both Congress and CPI(M). This would be a worrying factor for both coalitions.
The polling percentage for the April 26 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala has been updated to 71.16%. The “nal ocial” gures for Friday’s elections will be made available soon, the oce of Chief Electoral Ocer (Kerala) Sanjay Kaul said on Saturday after issuing the update.
As per the latest update, of the total electorate of 2,77,49,159, 1,97,48,764 voters exercised their franchise.
71.72% of women vote
The turnout include 1,02,81,005 women, 94,67,612 men and 147 transgender voters. Among them, 71.72% of the women voters, 70.57% of male voters and 40.05% of transgender voted on Friday.
A total of 1,65,205 voters made use of the home voting facility. Postal votes cast by voters engaged in essential services and government ocials numbered 39,111.
As per the latest data, Vadakara has recorded the highest poll percentage. Pathanamthitta remains at the bottom of the list. Alappuzha remains the only southern district with poll percentage above 70%.